Meeting Ends
by Cyclothymia
Summary: When the three of them finish high school they all move into the same apartment... [Could be read as either gen or a shippy WatanukiHimawariDoumeki piece. ...Retrospective mindless sap warning.]


When the three of them finish high school they all move into the same apartment, the reasoning being that they were attending the same university anyway and the extra income would be beneficial all around.

("There's an apartment," Watanuki says to Himawari hesitantly, "near the university. It- it has enough room for more than one person, and it's not very expensive as far as these things go . . . !"

"Where's my room?" Doumeki asks two weeks later when Watanuki and Himawari are moving their things in.

"WHO INVITED YOU," Watanuki snarls, but there's already a futon unrolled in the room across from his own, and he presses a copy of the key into Doumeki's hand that same evening.)

It's sometimes hard to juggle their schoolwork and various jobs- Himawari's job opportunities are limited because she's afraid to work where she might cause others misfortune, Watanuki always runs to the shop after classes, and Doumeki promised his parents he would still help with the temple when he moved out- so occasionally Watanuki will wash their clothes by hand and their homework is done by candlelight, but someone will inevitably pick up another part-time job and no one ever mentions moving out.

(Doumeki and Himawari sleep in Watanuki's bedroom when the electricity gets turned off. He knows that Himawari isn't really afraid of the dark, and howls at Doumeki for not having a reason to intrude.

He listens to Himawari's light breathing and Doumeki's soft snores, and he's glad for their presence.)

The apartment stays extraordinarily clean for housing three college students. Watanuki is slightly obsessive about cleaning, and Himawari admires his ability to keep house and helps out as much as she can. Doumeki is neither messy nor neat; he doesn't leave trash lying around the apartment but he'll leave his books on the coffee table or couch cushions.

(Himawari gets home before the boys, and cleans up the little messes around the apartment before starting her homework. When Watanuki and Doumeki walk through the door, Watanuki is breathing hard and Doumeki is carrying his bow and bleeding from a small cut on his arm. Himawari fetches the first-aid kit and Watanuki bandages the wound, tiredly carrying the kit back to the bathroom when he's finished. He's surprised but relieved to see that the mess he could have sworn had been there when he left for school is gone, and gets an extra homework assignment done before he starts dinner.)

The three of them are well known around the university- they share several classes and all three get average-to-above-average grades. The professors speak highly of the close, well-mannered trio that works hard and pays attention in class. The students gossip about their relationship and laugh at Watanuki's loud outbursts.

(Watanuki gets a bad fever near the end of the school year as finals are approaching. Doumeki and Himawari skip school all week to take care of him, except for the trips Himawari makes to the university to pick up their assignments. On the seventh day Watanuki's fever breaks and the permanent wrinkle between Doumeki's eyebrows smoothes over. He lies out next to Watanuki on the futon for the first full night's sleep he's had in a while.

Watanuki apologizes once he's lucid but Doumeki and Himawari won't hear his apologies, insisting that it was their choice to stay with him. He stops apologizing and instead makes them enormous dinners every night for a month.)

The girls in Himawari's classes tell her that she needs to get a real boyfriend, so she can get married before she's too old. Himawari smiles politely and excuses herself from the classroom.

("THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR ALL OF US," Watanuki shrieks.

"There's enough left," Doumeki says calmly with a finger plugging one of his ears.

"THAT DOESN'T MEAN--!"

Himawari joins them in the hallway outside her classroom, and Watanuki pauses in mid-rant to note how big and bright her smile is.)


End file.
